Everything feels just a tad better now that January is over doesn’t it? The month that lasts a lifetime finally put behind us for another year. Despite this, my January wasn’t too bad. I went on two work trips including a city hop from Copenhagen to Oslo, really made the most of Newcastle restaurant week, ‘completed’ all 5 series of Luther, and got a good start to my healthier lifestyle that I’m still sticking too.

On New Year’s Day I went to a local pub for a few drinks, and ended up staying all day, celebrating my lovely cousins engagement. Taking the 2nd January off work was a good move, and rounded off all the festivities well. From this point, the diet started.

Not really one for resolutions, I instead decided to make a few general changes for 2019. Starting 5.2 diet again was the one that I was certain of, and I’m really chuffed to say that in just 3 weeks, including restaurant week, and traveling which makes it hard to stay healthy, I’ve lost 8lbs. It’s a good start and I’m going to keep going for a few more weeks.

I’ll do a full post on the 5.2 diet once I’m finished, but whatever people think and say about diet culture, this one really works for me and I always see results whenever I do it. It doesn’t stop me having a life, it costs next to nothing, and it doesn’t involve awful diet shakes that give you the shits – thankfully.

Which brings me on to eating out, something I love to do and more often than not I centre my weekends around restaurant reservations and good food.

One Sunday I went with Viv to Saint Vincent’s for breakfast, and really enjoyed it in that cafe atmosphere, having previously only experienced it later in the day as a wine bar. It’s my current favourite place in Newcastle, and I wrote all about why here, so take a look and if you haven’t been yet you really should.

We paid the Northumberland Arms a visit for Sunday dinner on another very cold Sunday, and I really enjoyed that. It was such a lovely little country pub, and the food was amazing. It’s in Felton, and just across the bridge from the Running Fox. Check out the Yorkshires!

On to Newcastle restaurant week which I always love to make the most of, and I really did this year. The Botanist kicked it off for my friend Steph’s birthday, and then I went to French Quarter with Kieran, Nova Seafood restaurant for the first time with the work girls, and The Muddler which was a last minute choice to finish off the week.

I really enjoyed all of them, (and didn’t feel guilty, this is why I love the 5.2 diet), although I did make a point of choosing healthy ish options. I’d go back to all of them, the French Quarter because I want to try their wine tasting options, Nova because the food was very good quality, and Muddler because the sushi was as good as I have yet to find in Newcastle since Osaka closed.

While I’m on about food I’ve also rediscovered the Naked Deli, after not visiting for so long since I moved from Gosforth. Now that they have a pop up in the airport it makes being healthy a lot easier, I head straight there now instead of Burger King. I also tried their Grey Street location and loved it, it’s right by the entrance to Central Arcade.

One of the highlights of my month was getting to see a bit more of Oslo again. Traveling with work in the winter can be a total pain, with disruptions, never seeing the light of day, and needing to carry warm bulky clothing everywhere, but I did enjoy my lunch break in the Norwegian capital.

We got a guided tour from one of our colleagues of some of the city sights, and despite being one of the most expensive places in the world it is a beautiful winter city. Take a look at my Oslo highlights here.

Copenhagen was the other trip, and another cute city in winter but I’ve hardly seen any of it due to flying visits and dark nights. What we did see was typically Danish ‘hygge’, and we found this very cute little corner for a glass of wine after work.

I got back late on the Wednesday night to a very exciting parcel, off my cousin asking me to be her bridesmaid. I’m so excited, so happy for her, and can’t wait to be part of her day. We’re just beginning to think about planning the hen do and it’s going to be a good one…

When it comes to the blog, aside from the posts I’ve mentioned I also shared my annual guide to what’s on in Newcastle in 2019, or my picks for the year anyway, and I’ll be updating it with the seasons as new events are announced.

My tips for first timers visiting New York has been one of my most popular posts this month, and I’ve had so many DM’s and responses to it from people heading there later this year.

I have plenty more New York posts to come, so hope those are useful, but I did share this one on three amazing brunch spots in Manhattan earlier this week. My favourite type of meal and these places are highly recommended!

You can expect more New York posts coming your way in February, I have a quiet couple of weeks coming up with no work travel which always helps. Hope you’re enjoying the snow this weekend, it’s disruptive but so pretty, so I’ll leave you with these snaps of Jesmond Dene I took this morning.

Have a great February!